


"Some people call this wisdom."

by demiclar



Series: Destcember 2020 [1]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Destcember Day 1, Just another headstrong Guardian, Meet my boi, Original Character - Freeform, She taught him so well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:47:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27832501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demiclar/pseuds/demiclar
Summary: After encountering a Hive experiment on Luna, Damian returns to Ikora in the Tower for advice on his next step.
Relationships: Mentor/Mentee - Relationship
Series: Destcember 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2037118
Collections: Fireteam Aadya





	"Some people call this wisdom."

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I've made my own Destcember challenge out of a collection of prompts (Fictober prompts from 2018, 19, and 20, as well as old Destember, Inktober and Whumptober prompts. This is the first one, enjoy!

Damian couldn’t stop pacing. He was in Ikora’s study, pacing before the great desk at which she sat, calmly and methodically working though reports from the Hidden, the picture of sophisticated Vanguard leadership, completely opposite to the warlock across from her.

His robes were tousled and torn in places, old blood and dirt marring them, just as it marred the exposed parts of his skin, his neck, his face, even one of his ears was bloody. He’d come to Ikora immediately from the field, having stumbled upon some sort of Hive experiment the Hive hadn’t wanted him to see. He’d been chased off the moon under fire until he’d gotten halfway back to earth and a pair of Guardian ships had scared off the perusing Hive craft without question. It had been dangerous, but he had to go back.

“If you wait, I can get together a team of my Hidden to go with you.” Ikora spoke up as he continued to pace. The only reason he hadn’t left yet was due to his loyalty to Ikora. She had already advised him not to go, now she was trying to convince him.

“I can’t wait.” Damian responded, but didn’t stop pacing. The words felt hypocritical given he wasn’t aboard his ship and racing back to the moon. “What if they’re stopping the experiment? They could already be moving it by now, and we’d never know what they’re up to.”

After Hashladûn and the situation with the nightmares on the moon, Damian wasn’t sure what to make of it. It was why he returned to it so often, scouted through the darkness, investigated the old temples and the Scarlett Keep. He couldn’t always make it far, and he knew it was dangerous. Today had been one of the few times he’d gone alone, but the dangers didn’t stop him from wanting to go back. He’d run into Hive rituals before, but always ones he could explain, wizards summoning greater power for wards or locks to keep guardians out, or transforming and infusing their warriors with greater power. What he’d stumbled on today, though, he’d had no explanation for. All he’d seen was wizards floating above a group of knights knelt before a massive ogre, one that had looked like it could have been incredibly deadly, only the creature looked wounded, unmoving and sickly. He couldn’t understand what it meant.

“Damian, they if what you’ve described to me is true, they weren’t chasing you away, they were trying insure there were no witnesses.” Ikora pointed out.

That made him pause, and he turned to her quickly, surprise clear and present on his face. He hadn’t even considered the possibility. The Hive might have been shooting to kill, but whenever he encountered Hive, they always shot to kill, given his tendency to find them in high tension situations. He’d never thought they’d have been more motivated than usual because of what they’d seen.

“Then that’s all the more reason why I have to go back.” He said finally, and Ikora let out a small sigh.

“Damian, you’re not listening. The risks are too great.” She protested, and Damian shook his head.

“I can’t _not_ go.” He told her, “I know I came to you for advice but I—”

“Some people might call this wisdom.” She interrupted, and Damian faltered.

“Ikora, I—” He pursed his lips, trying to formulate his words in a way that she might see his perspective. She likely already did. Ikora was the smartest person he knew, after all. “I’m willing to take the risks. With the situation the Hive are in right now, we need this information. It could prove critical down the line. I can’t let it slip away. If this ogre becomes a threat, I can’t let that go undiscovered.”

He watched his mentor regard him with her cool, steady gaze, her eyes searching his face, his bloody, bruised face, injuries left over from what his Ghost hadn’t bothered to heal. He watched her draw in a deep breath, her gaze softening a bit as she watched him.

“There’s nothing I can do to convince you not to go, is there?” She asked him, her voice quiet.

Damian gave her the smallest smile. “No.” He answered just as quietly. “You could order me to stay, but I’d just tell the Hidden not to tell you that I went.”

He wasn’t sure the Hidden would even lie to Ikora, even if one of their own was asking them to. The loyalty of the group was intense. Damian felt it too, but part of his loyalty to Ikora was driving him to go, just as it was holding him back. Ikora had taught him to value information greatly, and his presence in the Hidden only strengthened that value. Now, he’d live and die for the right information, because he was realizing more and more how effective it was at turning the tides in way. They could certainly use a bit of help right now.

“Well,” Ikora said with a responding smile. “Call your team. I’ll contact the scouts on the moon and see if any of them can come to aid you. Go, but whatever you do, do not engage without backup. We can’t afford to lose you in this war.”

Ikora’s voice was measured, even as Damian nodded, rushing to seize his helmet from where he’d set it on her desk, already summoning his Ghost to him.

“Okay, I will, thank you, Ikora. I won’t let you down.” He promised, pulling his helmet on over his head. He made it to the door before she stopped him.

“Damian,” She said, raising a hand to halt her protégé. He paused. “Be careful.”

Damian gave her a firm nod before he disappeared for the door, and moments later he was hurtling for the moon once more.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again! I wrote this really quickly so it might not be too fabulous, but I like to do these challenges because they have the potential to introduce new readers to my characters in quick and easy ways, and it seems like people have really been into them in the past. In the past I've been too busy trying to keep up with school and such to manage posting these, but I'm hoping that since my classes end on the 9th I'll be able to keep up with this one. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy these!


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